This is the caterpillar of the Large Orange Sulphur making itself at home in the bloom of Senna (Cassia) alata, Candlestick Plant. The Sennas are host plants for the Sulphur butterflys.
Sulphur Butterfly Caterpillar
A closer view of the caterpillar
Great pictures, Floridian. Looks like we northerners are going to have to depend on you for butterfly pictures for the next 6 months or so!
Thanks NoH2O...I'll be happy to post what critters I find around the garden :)
He is cute and I did not know about the host etc....will have to go look at my cassias a little closer.
nice stac! my yard is teaming with cloudless sulphurs right now. I wondered what the cat looks like.
Lisa, here's a picture of the Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars http://davesgarden.com/fp.php?pid=541265
I haven't seen them for a while but we're loaded with the Large Orange Sulphur cats!
I put in a Senna (Cassia) alata specifically for the sulphurs. I see plenty of them flying around my yard, and even some ovipositing on the plant. Problem is the doggone carpenter ants are all over that plant and eat the eggs before they even hatch. I'm going to have to try to figure a way out to keep them off the plant next year.
Those ants are a pain. They will sometimes kill off the caterpillar too. I'd love to know how to control them without chemicals or danger to the cats